E-Book Pouch

At my bank you can earn points for using your credit card.  I have collected them for years and only turned them in once.  They have been building for years now.  I went on there a few weeks ago and found that I could turn them in for a gift card at Amazon.  One of my favorite places.  I had enough points for 2 $100.00 cards.  Whoo hoooo!!!!  Time to spend for something I couldn't afford for myself.  I didn't have long to decide.  I knew that I would love to own a Kindle E-Book.  I love to read and I have a hard time selling back my books.  What better present to give myself but a book that hold 3500 books. 

Now that I own it I won't let myself use it without protection.  It is really a mini computer screen, so can scratch easily.  This is a problem for me because I mainly read in bed.  You can purchase a leather cover.  What fun is that when I could design and make my own.

Here is the final cover/pouch.

And here it is closed.

Now I can read to my hearts content.  Older books are available free on Amazon. If only I could get my inventory of books on it.  Maybe someday.

Not lost just Busy!!!

I'm back!!!  I haven't had anything finished to share lately.  With so many things pending I sometimes have trouble choosing the next project to begin.  Do you all have that same problem.  I love deadlines.  I used to use the local quilt guild's annual show for my deadlines.  Then a few years ago they started putting all the hand quilted quilts in catergories by size only.  So my quilts can only go in 3 catergories for Bed Quilts, Wall Quilts and Minitures.  I rarely do bed quilts, I never do mini's.  That leaves Wall quilts and I can only have one quilt per catergory.  What's up with that.  One quilt a year.  I haven't entered since.

I have good news today. I was doing an online search of my name and found out that TheQuiltShow featured one of my quilts as thier Quilt of the Day.  It was several months ago.  How out of it have I been.  Here is the quilt that they chose.

This quilt was designed and made for my granddaughter several years ago.  It is also one of a series I designed and is the only one I ever completed.  Told you I had more to do then I could get done.  Click on it and it will take you to TheQuiltShow.  It was featured on 3/22/2011.

Another thing that has changed recently is that I am being featured as a designer on Pellon Projects.  They choose to use my Oblong Potholder tutorial as a teaching tool on their website.  I am now going to do a few projects a month for them.  So far mostly for the kitchen.  I'm working on placemats for Christmas now. 

I have recently purchased a Kindle and am in the middle of desgning myself a cover/carrier. I will be posting my process here shortly.  Hopefully in the next few days.  I refuse to let myself use it before I have it protected.  That should make me get back to work.   Happy Sewing/Quilting!  Have a great Day!!!

Scrappy Mug Rug Swap finished!!!!

I can finally post what I did for my partner, Rydersmama, in the Scrappy Mug Rug Swap.  It is finally received and much loved.  When I first entered this swap I wanted to know what kind of critter my partner would like most.  So I created a discussion thread in the group asking what kind of critters everyone liked.  My partner said "sloths".  Can you believe that?  Sloths?  What exactly is a sloth, I thought.  So after some research I found a few pictures that could be converted to quilting.  Especially since I wanted to try my hand at using crayons to paint the quilt.  My mug rug is only about 8 x 10" so crayons seemed like a good method.  If it didn't work out I would just try something else.  Here is the results:

Just in case she didn't like this side, I made it double sided.  Here is the other side.

I needed to use fabric that would match the other side for the binding.  These are all off the shelf, as they say. 

I have also received the mug rug from my partner, Handmaderetro aka Kristy, from Austraila.  Can you beleave that, all the way from Austraila.  She sent me two, count them two and three generous pieces of fabric. 

Aren't they gorgeous!!!  I am one lucky girl.  

The Bitty Block Committe Blocks Done and Mailed!!!!

I know it's been awhile since I posted.  I've been busy with birthdays and graduations and don't forget Mother's Day.  I've also been busy making my 24 3.5" unfinished blocks for the swap group "The Bitty Block Committe" on Flickr.  I did 12 for group 2 and 12 for group 3.  They were alot of work and I don't know if I'll do this swap again.  I'm not a big fan of doing small.  Love to own them but not to make them. LOL 

The theme this month was "April Showers bring May Flowers".  It was very interesting to see the different ideas come from this theme.  I'll post all of them after I have received them all.  Today was the mailing deadline, guess when I mailed mine.  Right. Today!!!  Here is the block I did for group 2.

Now the one I did for group 3:

No!! That's not a rug under the pots and boots.  It's a rain puddle.  Both blocks were well accepted by both groups.  I just short a few blocks to fill out the 24 I should have. And yes one of them is mine.  LOL 

Now I need to take a few days and clean, clean, clean.  I have tunnel vision while doing projects and lately it's been one project after another.  Now my furniture is ready to rebel.  You can write your name on the wood.  Then onward and upward.

Things to come!!

I thought I would let you know what I will be working on next.  After I finish the Bitty blocks, I will start a purse for my Big Sister #3(BS3).  She asked me yesterday via Facebook to make her a Blooming Purse with yellow flowers.  I would also like to do a second Blooming Purse similar to my Blooming Pouch in red, white and blue.  The roses will be red and white. The rest of the purse will be blue.  I have other purses in my mind, no telling what will happen there.

I also have to get back to finishing the Rudolfo quilt.  I've had a hard time trying to figure out an easy way to sew together the next block.  Then BS2 came for her visit and she agreed with what BFF from Texas, that the quilt was too busy so I've modified that block.  It will be a lot easier to sew together now with not much change over all.  Thanks for stopping by and come back soon to see what I'm up to.

The Bitty Block Committe for May

This is a group of ladies on Flickr that get together every month and exchange 3.5" unfinished blocks.  The subjects have been pre deteermined.  You don't have to participate every month, you sign up as you go.  Each subject is split into groups of 12, that means you have to make 12 blocks, one for each, including yourself.  I don't know about you but 3.5" is might small.  My BFF in Texas asked me to sign up because she really wanted to do this.  Ughhh!  It's not doing 12 blocks.  I don't do mini's very well.  They scare me! 

Well this month's subjects were "May showers bring April flowers" or "60's retro".  Guess which one I picked.  You guessed it the flower one.  I lived through the 60's and didn't need to relive it.  They are doing a great job on those blocks.  Well I had several other swaps to get done as you can see on this blog.  Today I started the Bitties and they are do to be mailed on the 31st.  Ughh!! again.  I had already had a few ideas and that's good because I didn't sign up for one set of 12 but two.  Yes, peeps, that means making 24 bitty blocks.  Ughh!  Here they are:

That's a puddle under the pot and boot not a rug as suggested in the group.  If you want to see what everyone else is doing click on this link.  Beware of the strange aliens and the Zanny fairy tales.

Linky Parties!!

I have added a button right under the header called "Linky Parties".  This holds links to the parties I have joined.  Click on them and see what I have entered along with all the other entries.

Pretty {Little} Pouch Swap Finished!!!!

Whoo Hooo!! Another one bit the dust!  I've finished my pouch for this swap.  Here's the start, some gathered roses. A technique I came up with while doing quilted clothing.

They are a little rough yet.  They won't be finished until the pouch is completely assembled.

The pouch with zipper and lining.  I still have to sew up the darts.  This is a very simular shape as my Blooming Purse.  In fact I think I will make a larger one for me as a purse.  This Blooming Pouch is about 6" x 8".  We were restricted in size up to 12" but I wanted to make something smaller.  The roses are 1 1/2" so 6" was perfect.

TaDa!! The finished pouch, with added fob on the zipper.  The back is solid fabric, I used the same fabric as the bottom fabric here.

Here is a close-up of the finished gathered roses.  The beads are used to tack the roses in place so they won't loose there shape.  I have posted a picture the finshed pouch on Flickr so my secret partner can see it.   I will get it in the mail to her sometime this week.  Then we just have to wait to see how she likes it.  Worry, worry, worry. 

It's Fabric Tuesday again!!!

I shared the sewing machine cover below that I made for my partner, Stephanie Ruyle. Just click the link below for Fabric Tuesday and it will take you to the Quilt Story blog. You will find all kinds of fun stuff made from fabric!!  

Another Blog party I entered at Creative Itch.  Just click their name and you will be there.

Sewn Spaces Swap I Completed!!!

I can finally write about the sewing machine cover I made for my partner, Stephanie Ruyle.  After I received my cover from Stephanie, I discovered that we were each others partner and that we were both Stalking the others blog.  ooops!!!  She was surprised I was the first to comment on her the pictures she posted as a tease on Flickr.  I had seen the cover she was making a few days earlier on her blog and was wondering why she hadn't posted it to Flickr.   When I saw the cover she was making I thought, "That looks like it was made for me."   I also thought it couldn't be because she was my partner, I couldn't be hers.  Wrong, wrong, wrong!!!  I was her partner and she was mine.  The swap Mama's (persons administering the swap) were being sneaky.  I then became very careful what I would share here.  She was probably reading it. LOL

So here is the front of the cover I made for Stephanie.  Boy, it was a challenge.  I thought I would make a cover with applique flowers or something.  After stalking her and reading her likes and dislikes sheet, I was in a quandry.  She stated she likes things that are linear.  I had to look that one up!!  LOL  I also found out she liked anothers foundation pieced fox.  My BFF from TX told me to design my own foundation pieced pattern.  I told her, "I don't think that way."  She contiued to encourage me, so I gave it the old college try.  Stephanie likes wild critters so I decided to try a raccoon.  Posted a tease from that design from EQ7, she loved it.  Then what to do.  I couldn't put it in the center and call it quits.  I hate centered, I like off centered.  So I designed the tree.  Now what to do with the back.  Hmmm!

What about another tree for fall, and some birds.  I don't like brown so they had to be blue birds.  This way she could place the cover either side forward.  After piecing both sides I stopped.  I was going to do pieced trees on each side, but the key to designing and to getting done on time is knowing when to stop.  Time to stop.  This is quilted using a running stitch on my Bernina.  I adjust the stitch length and just put the pedal to the metal and sewed.  Great way to get a wavy quilting line.  Now what to do for extras?  I live on a limited income so purchising something was out of the question.  There must be something I could make to send with this cover.....

How about a pincushion to match and a scissors fob made with a  raccoon bead I already had.  The bead is from a website that makes and sells hand blown glass beads.

I shipped everything to Stephanie in the box she had sent mine in on Friday.  She received it last night and immediately sent me a Thank You.  I had posted a picture as a tease on the Sew Spaces Swap photostream and she was the first to post a comment.  She wished it could be for her.  She was thinking like me, that she couldn't be my partner because I was her's.  LOL  You can read about her response and see more pictures on her blog.  Swaps are great fun, they feed the ego and you get great stuff!!  They also make you stretch you skills and keep you interested!!!